WWII Paratrooper shares experiences at Lansdale Historical Society

World War II veteran Tony Zanzinger speaks about his experiences during the war. Zanzinger was a staff sergeant in the 2nd Battalion, 501st Airborne Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, and airdropped into Normandy during the invasion of Europe in June, 1944. Earl J. Catagnus Jr./For Journal Register News Service

LANSDALE — History came alive on Tuesday night at the Lansdale Parks and Recreation Building when World War II veteran Tony Zanzinger spoke of his experiences. There was standing room only when, Zanzinger, a paratrooper in the 101st Airborne Division, told his stories of combat during some of the world’s most famous battles.

Mixing tales of woe with those of humor, audience members clung to his every word like grandchildren eagerly listening to their grandfather’s memories of days gone by. As a staff sergeant in 2nd Battalion, 501st Airborne Infantry Regiment, Zanzinger described how he jumped into Normandy and the Netherlands during operations Overlord and Market Garden, fought during the siege of Bastogne, and captured Hitler’s mountain retreat home at Berchtesgaden. He humanized the Hollywood portrayal of these events as seen in HBO’s “Band of Brothers.”

Zanzinger cited numerous times that what made his unit special was their discipline. Unlike the regular “leg” infantry, airborne troops were all volunteers. They trained to drop behind enemy lines and fight as light infantry to secure objectives for follow-on conventional forces. Since everything they needed had to be dropped in by aircraft, they did not have the heavy weapons usually allotted to other units. Rather, the paratroopers were trained to take on tanks, armored troop carriers, artillery, and machine guns with bazookas, hand grenades, and improvised explosive devices.

Zanzinger spoke without notes, and his recollection of events was vivid. He described complex military tactics in plain language, allowing all to understand what actually happened.

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At one time during the talk, Zanzinger lamented, saying, “There’s so much I’d like to tell ya, three years in an hour and a half. There were so many miracles and heroes that I can’t remember all of them.”

One “miracle” that he recalled was when he saved his childhood friend at Normandy. Prior to the invasion, thousands of Allied paratroops were dropped into France. The amount of anti-aircraft artillery encountered was so heavy the airplanes carrying the troops were forced to scatter. They released their precious cargo at points sometimes 25 miles away from the intended dropzones. None of the units remained intact.

Zanzinger said, “I was alone in a field. I could hear the machine guns, so I got into a ditch for cover.” Eventually he met up with 12 other paratroopers, he said he knew none of them. At one point, they were near a field and could hear the cries for a medic. Zanzinger ran into the field being swept by machine gun fire and helped a wounded soldier get to the field hospital. That soldier just happened to be his neighborhood friend. “I still can’t believe it. It was a miracle that I got to him.”

On a lighter note, Zanzinger told about when his regiment seized Hitler’s mountain retreat, Berchtesgaden. Here, he went into Hitler’s personal washroom. It had a toilet complete with a window overlooking beautiful mountain scenery. Zanzinger said he sat on it, looked out the window, and took in the beauty of it all despite the war. Telling the audience, “In the army we call a toilet the head,” Zanzinger followed with a one-liner, “I am probably the only soldier to ever sit on Hitler’s head!”

In addition to his talk, Zanzinger brought a large collection of memorabilia for all to see and touch. According to Zanzinger’s son, Tony Zanzinger Jr., his father sets up the exhibit all by himself. He said, “I come out to help him clean up, but he does all the rest.”

There was one item, however, that he kept upon his person. That item was a plastic box containing wooden bullets that he took from a dead German sniper. The Geneva Convention, Zanzinger noted, outlawed these types of bullets due to their causing an unnecessary amount of damage to the human body. Most professional historians have only read about the Germans using such ammunition and oftentimes speculate as to the validity of such claims. Zanzinger, however, held the proof in his hands for all to see.

Dick Shearer, president of Lansdale Historical Society, said Zanzinger came to speak to the Lansdale Historical Society at the request of Bob Righter, a retired history teacher, who has long fostered relationships with World War II veterans. Righter used to bring in Zanzinger to speak to his classes.

Zanzinger said he has been doing these types of talks since the 50th anniversary of World War II. His granddaughter asked him to come and speak to her class for the anniversary, which he did. After that, he has spoken to veterans groups, schools and in public venues such as this ever since.

Although he may not acknowledge it, Zanzinger is preserving the sacrifices his generation made through these public history events. In a sobering moment at the end of his talk, Zanzinger, speaking about his friends who are now all passed due to their age, stated, “I don’t have any now that I can call on.” Again, he is alone in a field, only this field is swept by machine gun fire, but is flooded with memories of heroism.